Kelly Storek PhD

Dr. Kelly M. Storek, PhD, is a microbiologist and Principal Scientist at Genentech, specializing in infectious diseases and host–microbe interactions. She has built her scientific career around understanding bacterial biology, microbial communities, and the ways pathogens interact with human disease pathways. Her research experience spans virulence factors in aquatic pathogens, biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and intracellular bacterial infections.

Dr. Storek earned her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Washington in 2012 and subsequently completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. She joined Genentech in 2015, where her work has focused on infectious diseases, Gram-negative bacterial pathogens, and the discovery of novel antibacterial approaches.

Her research has contributed to the understanding of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms, including the roles of Pel and Psl polysaccharides in biofilm structure, bacterial protection, and host–pathogen interactions. Her work has also addressed bacterial sensing and inflammatory responses, as well as strategies for targeting pathogenic bacteria. With extensive experience in microbiology, bacterial pathogenesis, infectious disease research, and translational drug discovery, Kelly Storek brings a strong combination of academic research expertise and pharmaceutical R&D experience to the field of infectious diseases.